Introduction

Iona's Mission:

Iona's mission is to support people as they experience the challenges and opportunities of aging. We educate, advocate, and provide community-based programs and services to help people age well and live well. We envision a community that celebrates, values, respects and protects the contributions and possibilities of every individual.

Iona: A History

Iona was established in 1975 to serve the needs of people in the community. To improve their ability to handle the increasing number of requests for guidance on medical care, public services and other social assistance, three local churches - St. Columba’s Episcopal, St. Ann’s Roman Catholic and Eldbrooke United Methodist - joined forces to create a center that would provide information to people in need. Most of the requests were coming from people over the age of 60. In recognition of the needs of this growing population of older residents, Iona’s board voted to focus on serving older adults, regardless of their ability to pay. In 1980, Iona took a big leap forward and was awarded a grant to serve as the lead agency for the DC Office on Aging for Ward 3 and parts of Wards 1 and 2, a designation which continues to this day.As the demand for services continued to grow, Iona quickly outgrew its original offices. In April 1997, thanks to generous donations and successful fundraising efforts, Iona moved to its current location at 4125 Albemarle St., in Northwest Washington, DC. The Isabella Breckinridge Center allows Iona to offer additional services, including expanded adult day health wellness and arts care, workshops and caregiver education classes, support groups, fitness classes, consultations, care management, counseling and much more.